


Right on the Soulmark

by SilverScaler3000



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, More Fluff, Pining, Tatoo-like marking appears on skin shortly after meeting soulmate, The Author Regrets Everything, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FLUFF!?!?!?!?, mild swearing, set in volume 1, soulamtes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-05-14 02:43:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14761068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScaler3000/pseuds/SilverScaler3000
Summary: He froze, staring at the hand the smudge had been on before. Falling to his knees Roman scrubbed desperately at it, scraping it with his fingernails till it was raw and red.“No, no no no no no! Come off dammit, come off!” he hissed.But it wouldn’t come off. Not the smudge, that was long gone. No, he was trying - and failing - to get something much, MUCH worse off.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm Rosewick trash. If you don't like it, then don't read it (and blame Rooster Teeth for making Torchwick so flippin' hot).
> 
> ENJOY!!!

Roman Torchwick glared angrily at the smudge of oil on his hand, the black sludge a sharp contrast to his pale skin.

It covered the back of his right hand; a greasiness that clung from his wrist to the tips of his fingers making him cringe. He sighed in exasperation, clutching his cane in his other hand angrily. It looked to be some sort of engine fluid, and no matter how hard he rubbed it, Roman couldn’t get it to come off. He had first noticed it when he had removed his gloves after getting hounded by Cinder for his embarrassing failure, and now he stared at the smudge with disgust as he walked through the shadier parts of Vale. He growled lowly under his breath, wondering where the hell it could have come from. Thinking about it, there was really only one conclusion he could come up with, and Roman fumed as he made his way to one of his more remote apartments.

“You and your stupid, disgusting airship sure make a pair Cinder,” he muttered darkly.

Roughly two hours ago, Cinder had collected him from atop a random building he had happened to climb up. His tail had been between his legs as a crazy teen armed with a giant scythe had been at his heels, and had not a speck of dust to his name. Cinder had been angry, to say the least, especially considering the fact one of Beacon’s professors had shown up and had started attacking them. The airship had sustained heavy damage, and when Roman had complained out loud to himself about his hand, Conder had looked about ready to roast him alive while Emerald and Mercury watched with wicked delight. She had then grabbed his chin - why did she always do that? And had told him to suck it up and be grateful she hadn’t just left him there.

He sighed again. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel grateful for the rescue, far from it. Glynda Goodwitch was definitely someone he  _never_ wanted to bump heads with again. Not to mention - and he hated to admit this - but another second on that roof and that little pest with her stupid scythe would have become a serious problem. Just, _honestly_ , what in the four kingdoms did Cinder expect from him? You couldn’t steal every speck of dust in the kingdom and not at least have  _one_ minor screw up, no matter how good you were, and Roman was  _the best._ And did she really  _have_ to save him with that flying monstrosity? He knew Cinder had gotten it from a shady source, but couldn’t said shady source have known a little more about basic hygiene?

 _Honestly, Cinder should cut back on her White Fang funds and invest a little more on herself,_ he thought.  _Maybe like, oh, I don’t know,_ **_getting a better airship_** _? Preferably one that is_ ** _clean_** _._

As a force of habit Roman was constantly trying to keep himself neat and tidy; no point in being disgusting like those animals from the White Fang. Not to mention he had a reputation to uphold as the head Crime Lord of Vale. This stain on his person was not only disgusting but downright infuriating. Besides, how the hell had it made its way under his glove in the first place?

Sighing again he unlocked the door to his apartment. It was one of the many he owned, not his best, but it would do. So long as Ironwood and his tin soldiers couldn’t find it, it had a functioning bathroom, and it was well stocked with his favorite brand of cigars, it was fine by him.

Taking off his hat, Roman placed it on a side table and walked inside. Entering the living room he immediately noticed that Neo was camped out on the couch, typing away on her scroll. Feeling his own scroll buzz Roman took it out, reading her message.

“ _What’s wrong?_ ” it read, “ _Dust heist not go good?_ ”

“Not really, no, but more importantly,” he said, sliding closer till he was leaning over the back of the couch, peering down at the petite, icecream woman with an eyebrow raised. “Why the hell are you in my apartment?”

She shrugged nonchalantly, putting her scroll down and using her hands to sign instead. “ _I needed a place to crash,_ ” she explained, lying back on the large cushions with her hands still signing in the air. “ _Your place was closest._ ”

“Not true,” he said, glaring as she relaxed on his furniture. “You have _ten_ hideouts, four of which were closer to where you were working.”

Neo grinned, giving him a sly smirk. “ _Fine, yours are just_ ** _far_** _more comfortable._ ”

“Of course that’s your reason…”

She giggled silently, then sat up and looked closely at him for the first time. She frowned, eyeing how disheveled he was.

“ _You look exhausted,_ ” she signed sympathetically. “ _Anything I should worry about?_ ”

“Possibly, I’ll tell you about it later. Right now I’m gonna hit the shower,” he said, already thinking about washing the grime from his hand.

“ _Fine, guess I’ll sleep in the meantime._ ” she signed, sighing dramatically while Roman rolled his eyes. She snapped her fingers, getting his attention. “ _If you sing while you’re bathing I’ll FN kill you._ ” she threatened.

Roman scowled at her. “I _don’t_ sing, and even if I did it’s my apartment,” he growled, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at her.

“ _And this is my umbrella,_ ” she signed, picking it up and waving it semi-threateningly at him.

Roman rolled his eyes at her mock threat, already well used to this kind of behavior from the mute assassin. “Point taken,” he said begrudgingly.

“ _Good, now go get clean!_ ”

He sighed. _“_ I knew I shouldn’t have given you that spare key…”

Looking indignant Neo tossed a pillow at him, which he dodged easily. Shaking his head at her Roman walked into his bedroom, then entered the adjoined bathroom. He closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. Rubbing a hand through his hair he groaned, wishing this day would end already.

Straightening up he pulled the white shower curtain back and reached in, turning the water on. He stripped down, carefully avoiding touching his white jacket with the black smudge, and entered beneath the scalding spray. He moaned quietly as the hot water relaxed his muscles, relieving him of the day’s tensions. Grabbing the shampoo he began washing his hair, closing his eyes as his fingers worked wonders on his scalp. After a few minutes, he ducked back under the water and rinsed it off, his thoughts turning back once again to the girl that had been dumb enough to interfere with the dust heist.

She had been impressive, to say the least, with that oversized weed killer. Taking down all of his hired help without breaking a sweat, then having the audacity to try to stand up to him, was either the bravest or stupidest thing he had ever seen.

He sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Junior would no doubt start griping to him about all of those lost goons he had borrowed the next time he showed up at his club.

Grabbing the bar of soap, Torchwick started rubbing at the smudge on his skin, still thinking about Red. If Glynda Goodwitch had shown up to help her, that must mean she’s a Huntress or one in training at least. She looked a little young, but that didn’t change how skilled she clearly was. Or beautiful-

 _Wait,_ **_what!?_ **

Roman shook his head, refusing to finish that thought. Just where the hell had that come from? Gods, he needed a drink…

Turning the water off he grabbed a towel and rubbed his face, muttering into the fabric angrily as he dried himself off. “Stupid, why the hell would I be attracted to a brat like that? Of all the ridiculous-”

He froze, staring at the hand the smudge had been on before. Falling to his knees he scrubbed desperately at it, scraping it with his fingernails till it was raw and red. “No, no _no no no_ ** _no!_ ** Come off dammit,  ** _come off!_** ” he hissed.

But it wouldn’t come off. Not the smudge, that was long gone. No, he was trying - and failing - to get something much, _much_ worse off.

He opened his mouth wide-

 

 

Neo grinned widely as she opened the freezer, but frowned when she didn’t find any ice cream. She clucked her tongue in annoyance. Usually Roman kept a tub of Neapolitan on hand for her, but it looked like this apartment wasn’t stocked. Grumbling silently she closed the door and was about to explore the pantry for cookies - not as good as ice cream, but she could deal - when she heard a scream coming from somewhere in the apartment.

Running as fast as she could she sprinted into Roman’s bedroom, searching frantically for him. Noticing the light was still on in the bathroom, she rushed over and kicked the door down, parasol held out in front of her as she entered the room. No one was there, save for Roman, who was kneeling on the bathroom floor, staring in horror at the back of his right hand.

Dropping to her hands and knees she grabbed his hand before he could protest, scanning it for a break, for blood, something! What she saw, however, made her mind go blank. Inhaling sharply she traced his hand, only barely understanding what she was looking at. She couldn’t possibly see what she thought she was seeing though. There was no way. She stared at it some more, then glanced up at him, finally letting the truth sink in as to what she was looking at.

On his right hand, Roman Torchwick had what at first glance appeared to be a tattoo. It was a silver rose that had burst into flames; a vibrant red that rivaled his hair. It was quite pretty really, but Neo wasn’t thinking about that right now.

Her focus was on how Roman was reacting, and it was all bad.

He was trembling slightly, his breath ragged and out of rhythm. He stared at his hand, but she didn’t think he could actually see it. His eyes had glazed over, and in her panic, Neo began shaking him, desperate to get him to snap out of it.

 _Oh my Gods is he in shock!? What should I do? Am I supposed to keep him hot or cold? Should I call Junior? Oh Gods,_ **_I don’t know what to do!_ ** _Gods-_

“Neo,” he whispered, snapping her out of her panic. His eyes were wild, and he grasped arm tightly. “This, this is-”

“ _Your soulmarking, I know,_ ” she signed, biting her lip and staring at him sympathetically. “ _I’d say congrats, but from the look on your face, something tells me you don’t exactly like who you're bonded to. For all eternity, I might add._ ”

“Thanks Neo, I  _really_ needed to hear that,” he spat sarcastically, covering his face with his unmarked hand.

“ _Sorry,_ ” she signed, wincing.

They both sat in silence for a few more moments, contemplating what this meant. Soulmarkings appeared when you met your soulmate, usually on the same parts of their bodies. That being said, Roman’s soulmate would now have a similar marking on his/her hand, whoever they were.

“ _So, I’m guessing you know who it is if your reaction’s anything to go by?_ ” Neo signed slowly, watching his face carefully so’s not to upset him.

“Unfortunately,” he replied bitterly.

“ _That bad, huh?_ ”

“You don’t even know the half of it Neo.”

She frowned, lifting her hands up to ask for more, but Roman beat her to it, holding a finger up to - sort of - silence her.

“Um, Neo? I appreciate the help, but could you leave for a minute? I want to put on clothes before we talk any more about this.”

Looking at him with a furrowed brow, Neo realized Roman wasn’t exactly dressed, and she blushed, averting her gaze quickly while he chuckled. Avoiding his eyes she signed hurriedly for him to hurry the hell up, and to come and talk to her once he was decent. He nodded and she scurried away, already getting her scroll out to inform Junior of this sudden change.

Roman stared at his hand again, wondering which God he had angered to deserve this. A Huntress, a  _Huntress_ , was his soulmate?

**_“I’m so Fu-”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooookkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy. So that just happened. 
> 
> Hey everyone! I felt REALLY bad about the fact my other Rosewick is going so slowly, so I went ahead and tried to write a different one (I know that's lame). If you're sad about the fact I'm going to have more than one Ruby/Roman fic to work on, fear not! I'm super close to finishing chapter three of Scorching Roses, AND I have an actual battle plan for this fic, with each of the last three chapters already partially done. Not to mention now that I'm out of school I will totally have more time to write. 
> 
> Anvays thx for reading! Please Comment and Kudos  
> See you next time!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...hi
> 
> I'm not dead. 
> 
> Enjoy?

“- ** _fudge_** **_brownies!_** ” Ruby screamed hysterically. “Shoot, gosh darn it, dang it-”

Yang winced at Ruby’s, well,  _lack of_ , language, staring sympathetically at her sister as she sobbed, shouted herself hoarse and absolutely  _shrieked_ into her pillow. Ruby’s shoulders shook violently as she lay on her bed, and Yang knew, without even looking that her sisters' pillowcase, that it was absolutely soaked with tears and snot. She grimaced, not really sure what she should do. On the one hand, she wanted desperately to take Ruby into her arms and comfort her, but it was like trying to approach a wild animal. Ruby was out of her mind with grief and panic, and Yang didn’t know if touching her would help or make things worse.

Ruby had been at this for hours, or at least Yang assumed she had been. The silver eyed girl had sent her sister a frantic text to meet her at home as soon as possible around that long ago, and by the time Yang had managed to get there, Ruby had already been like this. She had explained, through trembling lips and choked cries, just what had happened, and if it weren’t for the fact Ruby was behaving like this, Yang might have started screaming too.

Ruby had met her soulmate, and it was  _bad_. Not Ruby and/or Yang broke something bad, not Uncle Qrow had ended up drunk on their doorstep (again) bad, but  _bad_ bad. Ruby’s soulmarking, a gorgeous silver rose that had burst into red and orange flames, had appeared on the back of her left hand. A mark, that Ruby was certain, could only have appeared because of one person.

_Roman Torchwick._

The mark had appeared a little later than normal, but that wasn’t totally uncommon. Usually, it would immediately reveal itself right after meeting one’s soulmate, but sometimes it could take hours, even days, to appear. In Ruby’s case, it had taken what Yang assumed was eleven hours after Ruby had met her… _soulmate_.

Yang started as Ruby began hitting her head against her pillow as she shouted, and the blond hugged herself, clenching her teeth. It was an unconfirmed fact that after your soul marking appeared you were a little overly emotional for a while, but this was just insane. Sort-of swear words and phrases that avoided saying the God’s names in vain were being strewn from Ruby’s mouth as she shouted, all mushed together to sound even  _less_ like real cursing to Yang's ears than they normally would have. Unlike Yang, profanities just weren’t Ruby’s thing, so this was the best her sister could do. It didn’t make it any less difficult for Yang to watch her little sister break down like this though. She sighed as Ruby was reduced once again to a shuddering mess, her screams quieted until she caught her breath.

“Of all the lousy luck,” Ruby sniffed, “My soulmate’s Roman Torchwick.  ** _The_ ** _Roman Torchwick_ , as in the most wanted man in Vale!” Ruby sobbed, staring in dismay at the soulmarking on the back of her hand. “I’m done for!” she wailed, slamming her face back into the pillow. Suddenly her head snapped up again. “What if Professor Ozpin finds out?” she whispered. “What if I’m kicked out of Beacon before they even let me in!?” Ruby’s voice became shrilled, and she threw her face back into the pillows, sobbing even harder.

“Ruby, it’ll be okay!” Yang said assuredly while patting Ruby back, the tight smile she wore on her face threatening to crack as her own lie ate her alive. “They  _won’t_ make you leave Beacon because of this, and besides! I’ve heard of worse soul pairings.”

“Yeah right, name  _one_ ,” Ruby mumbled into her pillow. The words were barely legible, coming out sounding more like ‘ye ight, ame ne’.

“Okay,” Yang said determinedly, “Now, let’s see there’s, uh…” she trailed off, finding herself at a loss for words.

Ruby glanced up from the pillow, giving Yang a very pointed  ‘are-you-kidding-me?’ look. Yang frowned and turned around, refusing to meet her sister's eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and began tapping her foot as she stared up at the ceiling, thinking. After a moment Yang glanced back at her sister sheepishly. “Um-”

“You see?” Ruby cried out exasperatedly, cutting her off. “ _Augh!_ ” she shouted, grabbing her pillow and shoving her face back into it to scream some more. After a minute she stopped and flopped back down, turning her head so she was talking more to the wall than she was to Yang. It had a rather large crack in it, and Ruby traced it slowly with her eyes, wishing it would open wider and swallow her whole. “No one in the history of Remnant has had to go through what I’m feeling right now,” she whimpered.

" _Now hold on_ ,” Yang said, stepping closer to the bed, “That’s not true, you just didn’t give me that much time to think!”

“Think all you want.” Ruby shot back, sitting up again. “Spend a decade thinking about it, heck, get Zwei to help you while you're at it!” she said, gesturing to the corgi, who was staring up at her from the floor. “Nothing’s going to change the fact I’m bonded to a criminal, Yang, _a criminal!_ ”

“Yes, but-”

“A criminal, I might add, _who tried to_ ** _kill_** _me!_ ” she screamed, making Yang take a step back in surprise. Normally she was the only one in the family that possessed such a fiery temper. But that meant Yang at least understood Ruby’s anger. It didn’t just magically appear out of thin air. It came from pain, from heartache. Or in Ruby’s case…

_Fear._

Yang watched helplessly as Ruby fell back onto the pillow and moaned loudly. Zwei, who had timidly walked up to the bed at the sound of his name, joined in, howling until Ruby stopped to glare at him. Zwei's ears and tail went flat, and he retreated out the door. Ruby watched him go, her face crumbling with guilt, and she started sobbing again.

Yang sat down beside her on the bed, stroking her back comfortingly. After a moment she sighed, swallowing hard before opening her mouth to speak. “ _Mine,_ ” the blond whispered, so softly Ruby almost didn’t hear her.

Ruby turned her head on the pillow, staring at her big sister in confusion. “Huh?”

Yang pulled her legs up onto the bed and hugged them tightly to her chest, her chin resting atop her knees. “You heard me,” she murmured quietly. “Mine is just as bad as yours.” She hugged her knees tighter. “If not worse.”

Ruby sat up fully, wiping her eyes with the back of her right hand, avoiding the one with the mark. “But, but you don’t...” She frowned, tilting her head to one side. “But, you don’t even  _have_ a soulmarking yet,” she pointed out slowly, sounding more unsure than she would have liked.

Yang chuckled humorlessly. “Don’t I?” she asked, lifting her hair from her neck.

Ruby’s jaw dropped, and she reached a hand forward to touch Yang’s skin. She pulled it back quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed, but did shift closer on the bed to see easier. There, _right there_ , right below the nape of Yang’s neck, was a soulmark. It was a depiction of a silvery grey and a gold gear crossed over one another, glowing with such an intensity it looked as if they were about to melt together.

“How long?” Ruby finally asked after an incredibly long stretch of silence.

Yang let her hair fall back into place. “About a year,” she said coldly.

“Is, is this why you’ve refused to get a haircut?”

Yang shrugged. “One of the reasons anyway. Oh, and now that you know, you  _can’t_ tell dad,” she said firmly.

Ruby frowned. “But why not? What’s so bad about your soulmate?”

Yang clenched her fists. “He’s… he’s not a good person, to put it lightly. Granted, he lived a shitty childhood, but that doesn’t mean I have to deal with his _bullshit!_ ” She slammed her fist on the bed, making the springs creak.

“ _Language,_ ” Ruby murmured, wrapping her arms tightly around her older sister. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, not even bothering to try to hide the hurt in her voice. “I get not telling dad, but  _me?_ ”

“Ruby,” Yang began, but then she stopped, biting her cheek. “Look, I just didn’t want you to go looking for him or anything like that. And…” she rubbed her neck as she trailed off, wincing as her fingers grazed over the soulmark, “It was easier to ignore it when no one else knew about it.”

Ruby mulled over what Yang said, and decided it was an acceptable excuse. “Alright, I’ll buy that. _But_ ,” she said sternly, “Next time, talk to me? You’re my sister Yang, we can tell each other anything.”

Yang laughed at Ruby’s serious expression. “‘K,” she said. “You got it, Ruby.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and eventually, Zwei came back in. He whined at the foot of the bed, and Yang bent over to pick him up. Once his feet were on the sheets he immediately padded over to Ruby, tilting his head to one side questioningly. She smiled softly and held her arms open. Zwei barked happily and bounded into her, knocking her back on the bed. He licked her face over and over again while Ruby giggled.

“Zwei!” she cried. “No kisses!” Zwei only doubled his efforts, and Ruby whined exaggeratedly, batting at him half-heartedly. “I won’t die like this, not like this!”

Yang snorted, shaking her head at their antics. Her eyes fell back on Ruby's soulmark, and she frowned as a thought occurred to her. While Yang could hide her mark behind her hair, Ruby didn't have that luxury. How was she going to hide the fact she was Roman Torchwick's soulmate? Suddenly, an idea struck her and Yang jumped up from the bed, startling Ruby and Zwei.

“Yang?” Ruby asked. “What’re you doing?”

Yang ignored her and went over to her dresser. She opened one of the drawers and immediately started pulling everything out of it, letting each item of clothing fall discarded on the rug. Ruby watched, baffled, as a growing number of socks and bras ended up on the floor. “Yang?” she tried again.

“Hang on!” Yang said, “I know I put them in here somewhere and- _aha!_ ” she shouted.

She tossed something small to Ruby, who moved instinctively to grab it with a small shout of surprise. Once it was in her hand Ruby set it on her lap and looked down at it in confusion. It was a small box that was wrapped with red wrapping paper; a silver bow holding it together.  

“Happy birthday sis!” Yang exclaimed.

“...What?” Ruby asked.

Yang laughed at her perplexed expression. “Well, it  _was_ going to be your birthday present, but I guess now it can be your ‘getting into Beacon’ present.

Ruby’s eyes took on an excited gleam. “What’s in it?” she asked as Zwei sniffed it curiously.

“Open it and find out!”

Ruby grinned and pulled the ribbon free, the wrapping paper joining it on the bed a second later. Ruby opened the lid, and she gasped as she saw what it was. Sitting in the box was a pair of white gloves, similar to the ones Ruby had seen in her weapons magazine. Clearly, these weren’t the same kind, but they were pretty all the same. “Yang,” she whispered, her lip trembling.

“Hey, hey!” Yang said, “Don’t start crying again. I got these for you so you could protect your hands while you use Crescent Rose. Now, you can use them to hide your mark!”

Ruby blinked, and then a wide smile spread across her face. “Great idea,” she said, putting them on slowly, almost reverently. They had golden roses embroidered on the back, and she smiled at the way the light reflected off of them. “They’re pretty,” she murmured. She glanced up at her sister. “Thank you, Yang.”

Yang hugged her sister again. “Eh, it’s no problem. At least now if a Grimm mauls you at Beacon, I’ll be able to identify your body!”

Ruby rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Great Yang, _really_ reassuring,” she muttered, pushing her sister's arm away. The smile in her voice took any sting out of her words though, and Yang smiled, poking her sister in the stomach playfully.

“Anytime little sis,” she said. “Now come on! Let’s pack for Beacon. I still need to make sure I’ve got everything I need to clean and reload Ember Celica.”

At the mention of Yang’s gauntlets, Ruby perked up. “And I should make sure I have everything I need for Crescent Rose!” she exclaimed.

Both girls raced to their closets, their soulmate dilemmas temporarily forgotten as they dragged out their suitcases.

 

Ruby and Yang kept their silent promises; neither one of them mentioned their markings to their father or to their uncle Qrow that night. Instead, they both ate until their stomach were full to bursting, laughed, joked, and played video games till they were both ready to drop. Qrow had stared at Ruby’s gloves, clearly realizing there was something more going on than just a gift or a new fashion choice, but he hadn’t said anything, much to Ruby’s relief.

Later that night as Ruby lay in bed, instead of thinking about all the weapons and fighting styles she’d discover at Beacon the next day, her thoughts kept turning to Tor- to  _Roman_.

She scowled. Ruby didn’t know why, but it felt odd to think of her soulmate by anything other than his first name. It’d be like calling Raven, Branwen - not that they brought up Yang’s mom up often, mind you. Speaking of Yang, once Ruby was sure her sister was asleep, the young teen pulled the glove off her left hand, staring at her soulmarking in the moonlight. It really was pretty…

Ruby bit her bottom lip, ignoring the tears that fell down her cheeks. Quickly, she put her glove back on, refusing to think about what it concealed for the rest of the night. She had to be strong. If her dad and Yang could live every day without their soulmate, then so could she. Ruby closed her eyes. _I can do this,_ she thought. _I can do this…_

With that final thought, Ruby drifted off to sleep.

 

_~oOo~_

 

Fallen leaves crunched loudly under Ruby’s boots as she slowly made her way to the edge of the park. They were like little landmines, and she winced each time she stepped on one. “Dang it,” she hissed under her breath, glaring angrily at the ground.

Fall was one of her favorite seasons, that had always been a given with her. Filled with bright colors, ghost stories, pumpkin pie and so much more, Ruby had always held a special place in her heart for this season, the fact her birthday was placed in the middle of it only a bonus. But the young huntress didn’t especially care for it at this exact moment. She wanted to be as quiet as possible, and with every echoing crunch that sounded after she stepped on a dead leaf, she felt like throwing her hands up in the air with disgust. Instead she let out a frustrated sigh, adjusting her gloves unconsciously. It was cold, freezing really for the first Saturday of November, but that’s not why she did it. Her seventeenth birthday had been a week ago, and she held one of the letters she had received tightly in her right hand, away from her hidden soulmark.

 

 _\- You’ve been looking for Roman Torchwick. I know where you can find him. Meet me at this location_ (it was on the back of the note) _in a weeks time at 5:30 pm, and I’ll tell you everything I know. You’ll know it by the giant oak tree. Come alone, and_ ** _don’t_** _come armed -_

 

Ruby fiddled with her left glove again, before realizing what she was doing and stopping immediately with a frustrated growl. _It. Doesn’t. Matter!_ she thought fiercely, ignoring how her soulmark tingled unpleasantly. _Soulmate or not, Roman is a criminal, and it’s my job to bring him to justice! Even if he has been quieter lately…_

It was true, Ruby had rarely seen Roman since the failed attack at the Vytal festival over a year ago. Just the occasional bumping into one another when he was in the middle of robbing a store. As far as anyone could tell, he didn't work with the White Fang anymore, and someone else had quickly taken over the position as the Crime Lord of Vale. Roman was nothing more than a common thug now, or, if you asked the right person, a _hero_ even.

He had been sighted helping fight off the Grimm during the attack at Beacon, protecting fleeing students and spectators no less. When she first heard this, long after the chaos was over, Ruby had been too ashamed to confide in Yang that she felt scared for him when she learned he had disappeared soon after the Grimm had been handled and the people responsible for the attack had been taken into custody. On top of team JNPR having to leave suddenly because of something to do with Pyrrha - who had been proclaimed the hero of the day - Ruby had what she considered completely irrational fears that Roman had been hurt, and Ruby didn't sleep well for _days_.

Less than a month later, however, Roman was sighted robbing another dust shop, and her feelings quickly turned sour.

Ruby paused suddenly, looking up from the leaves she had been tiptoeing over. This, this was it. She was almost positive that this was where the letter had told her to go. Ruby was standing in a small, grassy field that had Vale on one side, and Beacon’s woods on the other. She stared hard at one particularly huge oak tree, the key landmark that made her certain she was where she needed to be. She took out her scroll and checked the time. 5:29 pm. She was a minute early. The young huntress frowned as she realized she couldn’t even get a signal here. _How convenient,_ she thought bitterly. But this was why Ruby had, in fact, brought Crescent Rose with her. If being betrayed by Cinder, Emerald and Mercury had taught her anything, it was that she shouldn’t, no, _couldn't_ trust everything she was told. She wanted to find Roman, to lock him away and ignore him for the rest of her life, but that didn’t mean she was going to put herself in harm's way to accomplish that.

A sudden, loud  _crack_ from a stick nearby made Ruby jump, and she quickly unsheathed Crescent Rose. “Who’s there?” she demanded, trying in vain to figure out where the sound had originated from.

“It's only me," a voice said from behind the trees. Ruby relaxed, but only slightly. "You know," the voice continued, "I could have sworn I wrote in my little message that I wanted you to leave your weapon _behind_.”

They sounded more than a little on edge as they said it, and Ruby felt a thrill of grim satisfaction from that.  _Good,_ she thought, her eyes darting around every which way as she tried to pinpoint where the sound of approaching footsteps was coming from. They  _should_ fear her scythe; should know that she wasn’t just some dumb kid. Reminding herself to stay calm and alert, she snickered loudly, facing in the general direction of where the voice had come from. “Yeah right, I’m not going to let some creep kidnap me,” she said, only half joking as she peered towards the darkness, honing in on where the echoing footsteps seemed to be emanating from. The unseen person chuckled, making the hair on the back of Ruby’s neck stand on end.

“You got me there. I did, admittedly, take that into consideration as an alternative to just asking you to come meet me here, but I can assure you I won't do anything of the sort. Besides,” the unseen person said, his footsteps drawing even closer. “What’s the point of doing something if you expect me to do it? There’s no fun in that. None at all, **_Red_**.”

Ruby froze, and even before the mysterious person stepped out from the shadows and into the field, she knew who it was.

“Well, hello Red,” Roman all but purred. “ _Isn’t it past your bedtime?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! I normally have someone help me edit it, but I didn't this time. If you see any grammatical mistakes and/or think something could be stronger, please don't hesitate to let me know!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My little new year's gift to all of you lovely readers. Happy 2019!!!

_A little earlier…_

 

“Where’re you going, sis?” Yang asked her sister curiously.

She watched with narrowed eyes as Ruby froze, her hand stopping less than an inch from the door handle she had been reaching for. Yang had been lying on her bed listening to music, seemingly in a whole other world as  _Red like Roses_ blasted through her earbuds, but Ruby should know better than to think Yang wouldn’t notice her trying to sneak out of their dorm. The blond was always alert and completely aware of what was going on around her, even when it didn’t seem like she was.

Ruby’s shoulders remained tense for a brief moment before they relaxed. A second later the young huntress in training turned around, giving Yang her best smile. “Just going out for a walk,” she said cheerfully.

Yang raised an eyebrow pointedly, then glanced down at her scroll, frowning. “It’s kinda late for that, isn’t it?” she asked as she sat up on her bed, turning her music off. “The sun’s gonna set soon.”

In truth, it wasn’t that late at night, but winter was coming up fast, meaning the days were growing steadily shorter. Heck, just this past week a chill had settled quickly unto Vale, bringing the promise of frost and ice, and Yang was far from comfortable with the idea of letting Ruby wandering in the dark when the sidewalks were slippery.

She said as much, and Ruby grimaced. “Uhg, you sound like dad!” she complained.

Yang placed a hand on her chest, giving Ruby an affronted look. “How dare you!” she exclaimed in mock horror. “I tell much better jokes than he does!”

Ruby giggled, but she went strangely silent as Yang stood, stretching her arms high above her head. She groaned appreciatively as her spine cracked. “Just give me a second to grab my jacket,” she rasped. “I’ll come with you-”

“You can’t!” Ruby exclaimed. Her hands flew to her mouth an instant later.  

Yang paused, giving her sister a strange look. “Why not?” she asked, not even bothering to try suppressing the suspicion in her tone.

Ruby’s cheeks reddened, eyes looking anywhere than at Yang. “I, I mean, that is to say…” she trailed off, staring down at her feet guiltily. “I know you didn’t sleep well last night,” she admitted quietly.

In truth, Yang hadn’t slept at all. How could she? What with her soul mark throbbing all night long. She grit her teeth. “I’m fine, Ruby. Honestly, ‘m not that tired. Besides, I don’t like the idea of you out there by yourself right now.”

Ruby pouted. “Oh come on, Blake and Weiss are both out on their own, and it’s not like I’m going to go walking into Grimm infested woods. Don’t treat me any differently just because I’m a year younger!”

“Ruby, that’s not at all what this is about. I just,” she hugged herself. “Please, let me come with.”

Ruby looked torn, but after a brief moment, she shook her head. “I want to go alone,” she stated firmly. “I’ll only be gone for half an hour tops, I promise!”

“I really don’t think-”

“Besides, we just finished testing today,” Ruby cut in. “I _really_ need to walk off the stress before I explode!”

She emphasized her point by spreading her arms wide and making large explosion sounds with her mouth, dramatically ending it all with her collapsing in a heap on the floor, moaning. Yang laughed as Zwei patterned over to her and began licking Ruby’s face, regardless of her shrieked ‘ _not again!_ ’.

Ruby sat up and pushed Zwei off of her. She grinned as she watched Yang rubbed a few tears from her eyes, realizing she had her sister right where she wanted her. Time to pull out the big guns. “Pretty please, Yang?” she begged, giving her sister her best puppy dog eyes.

Yang bit her bottom lip, thinking. It was true, Oobleck had been absolutely merciless with the pre-final exam they had taken earlier that day, but something was just,  _nagging_ at her, for a lack of better wording. Ruby had been acting fidgety lately, and Yang would be lying if she said she wasn’t worried. No one had really been able to relax since that attack during the Vytal Festival over a year ago, but she and Ruby were worse off than most people. After all, no one else could really say that their soulmates had been involved, could they?

And now, what with Ruby behaving oddly all week ever since her birthday and wanting to leave  _right before sunset_ , Yang was a little hesitant to let her sister out of her sight.

Then again, Ruby was sixteen now. That’s how old Yang was when she first trashed Junior’s club; when she first got her motorcycle. And when…

When she first met Mercury.

She wiped the scowl off her face before Ruby could see it, then did a quick once over to make sure her sister had both of her gloves on, and Crescent Rose attached firmly to her side. After a moment more of consideration, the blond finally nodded. “Alright, just make sure you get back soon,” she said firmly, grimacing as she realized she did, in fact, sound just like their dad.

Ruby grinned triumphantly. “You got it,” she said, giving her sister a thumbs up. With that, she opened the door, throwing Yang a wink over her shoulder as she closed it behind her.

Yang stared after her, listening as Ruby’s footsteps faded down the hall. Once she couldn’t hear them, the blond sighed, rubbing the back of her neck absently. She tore her hand away an instant later, cursing under her breath as her soulmark flared to life once more.

Gods, just what in Remnant was wrong with Mercury!? His anxiety had been bleeding into her mark for  _hours_.

She scowled. “Jeeze, what’s eating his ass?” she muttered. “I thought you had to be close to feel…”

She froze, racing to her window. “ _You. Cannot._ ** _Be serious!_** ” she hissed. Right below her, she could see none other than Mercury in the bushes next to the dorm, concealed from sight from everyone save for herself. He was pacing, expression matching the emotions bleeding into Yang’s soulmark, making her eye twitch with barely repressed anger. “Mercury!” she screamed.

He looked up, and Yang barely registered the ‘oh, shit’ his mouth formed as she started climbing out of her window. She leaped, growling as Mercury began to run. She hit the ground hard, but Yang barely noticed as she sprinted after him.

Before long they were off school grounds, Yang still giving chase as they ran through the woods behind it. “Stupid, artificial, battery-powered, robotic legs!” she shouted under her breath, barely keeping up with Mercury. At this rate, she was going to lose him!

Giving a shout of outrage, Yang moved her arms behind herself and fired her gauntlets, landing in front of him with a slight roll. He came screeching to a stop, and Yang got back on her feet, panting. “Got you now, you piece of Grimm shit!” she spat.

The blond flicked her wrists, reloading Ember Celiac. She enjoyed the way Mercury paled slightly as her semblance activated, her body burning with power fueled by her hatred and rage. She took a step forward, pulled her fist back as her eyes began to glow red-

 

_~oOo~_

 

“Little red, little red,” Roman murmured, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

He watched as Ruby took a step back, gripping her scythe tightly in her hands. He rolled his eyes, sighing in annoyance. “You don’t need to look so alarmed, I didn’t invite you here so I could kill you.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes, trying to look angry, but fear still clung tightly in her chest, making her face twist unpleasantly into what she knew was a look of horror. Roman was leaning casually against the giant oak tree a few feet in front of her, a cigar hanging lazily from his lips as he stared at her expectantly. It was almost as if he was waiting for her to calm down, or at the very least  _say_ something, but all she could manage was a shaky exhale as she struggled not to visibly tremble.  

He was here. Oh Gods, he was really here. And he was  _talking_ to her. “R-Roman,” she stuttered, too shocked to think of anything else to say.

He chuckled. “In the flesh, Ruby Rose.”

Ruby took a step back, heart flying into her throat as she gaped at the man in front of her. “You, you know my real name!?” she shrieked when she found her voice again.

“Well, naturally one does try to know the name of their _soulmate_.”

He said it in an almost accusing tone, and Ruby could feel her mark flare to life on its own accord. She drew in a sharp breath, glancing down at her hand. She could feel a bubble of hysterical laughter building in her chest, but she swallowed it down. The gloves didn’t matter, not here, not now, and certainly  _not_ to the man in front of her, the man who knew perfectly well what laid beneath it.

Ruby thought she was going to be sick…

Roman narrowed his eyes, staring at the white gloves his soulmate wore. He had seen them before, of course, when her teammate, Blake, had caught him smuggling dust from Vale’s dock  _and_ during the whole train incident. He had a sudden urge to go over and rip them off, to expose the mark he knew laid hidden underneath the left one.

She must have seen him looking, because Red was glaring at him now, only making him that much more eager to confirm what he already knew. Throwing his cigar aside, he began walking towards her, keeping his stride slow and calm despite wanting to rush over to her.

In response, Ruby held her scythe up threateningly, glaring at him. “Stay, _back_ ,” she growled.

He paused for a moment before rolling his eyes. “Do I look armed to you?” he asked, holding his arms out wide as he continued to draw closer to her. “My cane’s not going to magically pop out of my boot, I promise.”

“ _Stop!_ ” she screamed.

Roman paused, stunned by just how upset she was. Fear and anger pulsed into his soulmark mark, making Roman’s breathe catch in his throat. He stared at her, torn between leaving to rid himself of these emotions and comforting her. Gods, he didn’t know what to do. He had never encountered her like this before. In the past, she was nothing but determined in her mission, making it easy - until the attack he had helped to foil at Beacon - to ignore. But now, even the way she held herself was different. Her stance wasn't the confident pose she usually wore, not the hero sweeping in to save the day. No, every muscle, every line on Red’s body was tight and rigid, and her silver eyes blazing as she snarled at him.

“I know you’re not armed,” she snapped, “I’m not blind. I don’t trust you, or want you anywhere near me either way.”

“Understandable,” he conceded, gently. “But I promise, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Ruby snorted at that. “Right,” she spat. “You just invited me out here to give me a late birthday present. I’m not stupid, _Torchwick_.”

“I know,” Roman soothed, giving Ruby a genuine smile. “An idiot would never have been able to keep up with me the way you did. No, you’re something else entirely, Red.”

Ruby flushed at the compliment. “What do you want?” she asked bitterly after a few awkward beats of silence. “Why did you trick me into coming here?”

“Okay, first of all, I  _didn’t_ trick you,” Roman said, looking offended. “If you recall, my message said I had information on where Roman Torchwick was.” He paused before taking a small bow, peeking up at Ruby from under his hat. “Here I am!” he said, waving his hand with a dramatic flourish as he straightened back up.

Ruby growled at his antics, realizing that, as much as she hated to admit it, he had her there.

“And secondly,” he said, taking a few more steps towards her, “I’d think it would be obvious as to why I asked you here.”

“S-stay back!” Ruby stammered, her hands beginning to tremble as they grasped Crescent Rose tighter still. Finally, Roman stopped, the blade of Ruby’s scythe just inches from his neck.

He ignored it, keeping his focus solely on his soulmate. “You’re not going to hurt me Red,” he murmured softly.

“How do you know that!?” she demanded, tears beginning to stream down her face. “You know nothing about me!”

In one swift motion, he knocked Ruby’s scythe out of her hand and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She hit him with her fists, screaming at him to let her to. He ignored her and held Ruby close as she spent herself, crying helplessly into his shoulder. Slowly, she grew exhausted and sank to the ground. Roman followed suit, not willing to let go of her. Now on his knees, he rubbed her back comfortingly while rocking back and forth, shushing her softly until she calmed down. He waited patiently for her to go quiet, for her sobs to turn into small hiccups, before opening his mouth to speak to her again.

“I’m not here to hurt you Red,” he breathed reassuringly to her. “I just want to talk. I Promise.”

She shuddered again, and Roman ran a hand soothingly through her hair. Being this close, Gods, Roman could feel their potential bond so clearly. It felt so warm and comforting, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her even tighter, to put there marked hands together…

He inhaled sharply through his nose, refusing to give in to that instinct. He stilled, sniffing the air. Something smelled incredibly good. It was Red, he realized only a moment later. She smelled like roses, no surprise there, and her scent was also sweet, like a bakery. It was very pleasant. He let his hand trail down from her hair, bringing it to rest on the small of her back. Her body was so small compared to his, but it seemed to fit perfectly in his embrace. He could hold her like this forever, his flower,  _his Rose_ …

Roman stood, gently pulling Ruby up with him. Once she had her footing, he murmured in her ear, softly, “I’m going to let you go now.” She tensed, and he realized she was probably going to run the second he let her go. “Please,” he begged, pulling away from Ruby and cupping her cheek gently with one of his hands, keeping the other wrapped securely around her waist. “Just, let me talk to you.”

She stared at him, her expression uncertain. After a moment though she gave a small nod, and Roman let go of her slowly. He waited anxiously to see what she would do, worried that she would change her mind. But to his immense relief, she simply held still, waiting for him to speak.

If she had tried to leave at that moment, he wouldn’t have stopped her. Roman didn’t think he  _could_ , and the thought alone terrified him.

“I don’t know what to do, Red,” he admitted quietly. “I never really expected something like this to happen, at least not under these circumstances. Then again,” he chuckled, “What sort of circumstances did I actually think would transpire?”

Ruby didn’t say anything in reply, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing. “Anyway, you’re right, I don’t know that much about you, and I don’t know what’s going to happen now. But,” he said,  “I do know one thing for sure.” He leaned closer, taking both of her hands in his own. “I want this, whatever _this_ is.”

Ruby’s breath hitched at his words, and he took that moment to gently press a kiss to her cheek.

She went rigid under his touch, making him wonder if he had gone too far, but he couldn’t help it anymore. She was so close, and it was too tempting. A ghost of a blush crept up her cheeks, and he felt a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth at the sight. Pulling away from her he stepped back, giving his soulmate more space. He then glanced down at his hands, still clad in their traditional black, leather gloves.

He flexed his fingers. “I always thought the whole premise of having a soulmate was stupid; that the idea you could feel so connected to a person was a bloody joke. But when I’m with you…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I feel complete. I want to see what we could build from this, no matter how crazy that might be.”

Ruby’s had eyes had grown wider and wider as he spoke. Once he was done talking, however, Roman watched as they shut tightly, her head dropping as she hugged herself; shoulders tense. He gave his words another moment to sink in before continuing, gently. “So, what do you say Red? Wanna give this a shot?”

He waited, but she remained silent and unmoving. He frowned. “I can’t read minds Red. Care to tell me what you’re thinking?”

Still, she didn’t say anything, refusing to even look up at him.

Roman closed his eyes and sighed again, realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. He started to turn around, to walk back to where he knew Neo was hiding in the bushes. He had tried to convince her that it wasn’t necessary for her to come along, but she had followed him anyway, thinking Roman didn’t know she was behind him.

 _Stupid,_ he thought bitterly to himself. _Of course Red doesn’t want me, how could I have been such a-_

He felt a hand grab and his arm, stopping him from putting any distance between the two of them, and his eyes flew open. He turned around, seeing that she still had her head down. “Red-”

“Take it off,” she said, so quietly Roman almost didn't hear her.

“What?” he asked, completely baffled.

“Your glove,” Ruby clarified, raising her head and staring determinedly at him. “Take it off. Let… let me see it. _Please_.”

Roman stared at her uncertainly, then began pulling his right glove off. He went slowly, conscious of Red’s eyes boring into his hand. When his hand was finally free, he stiffened, worried. His soulmark had started glowing dimly, almost as if in greeting to his soulmate.

Ruby hesitated, then took Roman’s hand in her own. She trailed her thumb over it, staring at the fiery rose with awe. It looked just like hers, and she thought it suited him.

When Red let go of his hand, Roman had to fight back a groan of disappointment. He held his breath, however, as she reached for her own gloves. Only hesitating for a moment, Roman watched as she pulled the fabric away, revealing the identical mark. Her’s was also glowing dimly, almost turning golden in the setting sun’s light.

With a thought of ‘ _no turning back now_ ’, Ruby gingerly pressed her palm into Roman’s marked hand, curling her fingers in the spaced between his.

Both of their marks began glowing brighter, brighter; a growing warmth overwhelming them both. Roman’s stomach flipped, heat blossoming in his chest, over his collarbone and up onto his neck. He wanted this. Gods, he wanted this so badly it  _hurt_.

Red gasped, and Roman realized a bit belatedly he had said that out loud.

Before he could apologize, pull back and try once more to convince her not to leave, his soulmate had flung herself forwards, stealing Roman’s lips in a searing hot kiss. Love and affection flowed through their soulmarks like liquid chocolate; the promise of their bond.

Finally, their marks settled, turning into a gentle hum, and they pulled back. They stared at one another, uncertainty and joy waring in both of their expressions. It was dark now, and they both watched as their panting breaths turned into clouds, mingling together in the air.

“Well,” Roman said, coughing awkwardly, “That was…”

“Nice,” Ruby said, smiling for the first time that night.  

Grinning, Roman leaned down to capture Ruby’s lips with his own once more. He pulled back and chuckling as a dark blush crept up her cheeks. “Indeed it was, Ruby Rose,” he whispered. “Indeed it was.

Ruby giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Roman,  _I-_ ”

 

_~oOo~_

 

“ _-deserved that,_ ” Mercury grunted, rubbing at his chest. Damn it, how did he not see that coming? Emerald was right, he was as dumb as he looked.

“Yeah, yeah you did,” came the snarled reply.

He glanced up, wincing as the Yang stalked forwards. “Yang-”

“Don’t call me that!” she screamed. “Don’t you dare call me by my first name,  _Black._ ”

He scowled. “Fine, you wanna play that game, _Branwen_?” he shot back. An instant later he had to roll out of the way as her fist came crashing down, nearly faceplanting against a tree. “Fu- I’m sorry, alright!?” he shouted, hiding behind the trunk as she swung at him again. “Yang, _come on_ , I just want to talk.”

“Like how you wanted to ‘talk’ during the attack, and had me locked in a fucking storage closet!?” Yang shrieked.

Mercury winced. “Yang, I just wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me!?” Yang spat.

Mercury jumped as a round exploded through the tree only an inch above his head. It groaned, and he went scrambling out of the way as it started falling forwards. It fell with a gigantic crash, making him wince, remembering where they were. “Yang, I know you’re pissed at me, but if you're not quiet we're gonna attract-”

**_ROAR!_ **

“...Grimm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I was struggling to finish everything up with Yang and Mercury, so I decided to break it into two chapters. 
> 
> See you all at the finally! Read ya later!!!


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